From Exec to Entrepreneur: Three Things You Need to Know When Transitioning Careers

Jumping into entrepreneurship, or any new career is a personal choice. The truest guide for where to go, what to do, and when to do it, is in your own heart. There’s an Italian saying “Colpo Di Fulmine” – it means when lightning strikes (Italians typically use it to talk about the moment when you fall in love). You know when it happens, it’s simply a matter of being courageous enough to go with what you know.

It’s the same when starting a business.

When I switched from the technology world to being an entrepreneur, it was a huge shift. It took courage to pull $50K out of my own retirement savings to start a company I believed in. With no entrepreneurial experience, I kept telling myself, I am worth this—And—I am going to succeed, no matter what.

Here are three things you things you need to know when transitioning careers from the corporate world to entrepreneurship.

Make Sure You're Excited About It

Make sure you're actually excited about what you’re doing. Something that you can’t stop thinking about–it consumes all your thoughts. It's one thing to say, "Hey, I've got this idea”, but with no defined plan you can’t chase unrealistic dreams. Make sure it's something you’re really are jazzed about. If you're not, it'll show and you would’ve wasted your time and energy.

Be Willing To Do Everything

Moving into the world of entrepreneurship, it’s really important to be willing and able to do everything–including taking out the garbage or scrubbing the toilets from time to time.  Young entrepreneurs often ask me, “Who did your deliveries to Whole Foods in the beginning?” And I say, “Me. And you know what? I'll still do it to this day." If people call me and say, "Hey, I've got an event tonight but I can't get Instacart to deliver this afternoon," I'm like, "No big deal, I'll drive it over to you.”

Even years into your career, you have to still be willing to do little things like that; and be happy about it! You can’t feel resentful or that you’re too good for it because people will lose their respect. It’s a great thing to let everyone know that you’re willing to do the dirty work to make your company successful.

Have A Broad Enough Skill Set That You Can "Pinch Hit"

When we were starting our direct to consumer business, we didn't exactly know what we were doing. We talked to a number of different agencies and planned to hire one of them. But in the end, we found out we actually knew a little bit of the code and how to design things in WordPress which took us further than expected. We were creating while testing without having to rely on an agency.

When making a career transition to entrepreneurship, it helps to have a broad skill set so you can play in multiple disciplines. Founders who are also CEOs understand every aspect of the business and know how to do the work their employees are doing. I can run my product at the bottling manufacturer, I understand temperature controls, I understand the glue we're using on labeling; I know every aspect of my company and what’s going on at all times. I know the basics of most jobs, but I hire people who are experts to take it to the next level.

That's how I've grown my business.

If you feel deep in your heart that entrepreneurship is your path, make the leap, don’t be scared. Colpo di Fulmine. Because once the thunderbolt hits, your life will never be the same.

You can keep up with my journey by following me on LinkedIn, here.